Ball State University Athletics
Women's Volleyball Back On The Road This Weekend
October 12, 2009 | Women's Volleyball
Ball State at Kent State Live Stats Link
Ball State at Ohio Gametracker Link
► ON THE ROAD AGAIN: After a brief stop at Worthen Arena for last Saturday's win over Buffalo, the Ball State women's volleyball team returns to the road this weekend for matches at Kent State (Friday at 7 p.m.) and Ohio (Saturday at 6 p.m.).
► BSU RUNNING A SPREAD OFFENSE: In Thursday's win at Toledo, Ball State was able to spread out its offensive attack, with four players logging double digit kills in the victory . . . Alisha Green and Kelsey Brandl tied for match-high honors with 14 kills each, while Hannah Sullivan added 13 and Jennifer Boyd scored 11 . . . Brandl's 14 kills where a career-high, while Sullivan and Boyd each tallied season-best totals . . . Thursday's match marked the first time this season BSU has had four players record double-figure kills and just the third time in 19 matches Ball State has had more than two players carry the offensive load.
► 13-2-26: In the final two sets versus Buffalo last Saturday, the Ball State women's volleyball team finished with identical .423 attack percentages . . . The Cardinals collected 13 kills, on 26 swings with just two errors in each set . . . Ball State finished the match with a .286 (54-20-119) hitting percentage, which was its second-best effort versus a league opponent this season . . . On the defensive side, BSU limited the Bulls to a .083 (20-15-60) rate of success in the final two frames and a .172 (44-22-128) mark for the match.
► BALL STATE IN MAC PLAY: Ball State enters the week with a 276-137 (.668) all-time record in league play, which ranks the Cardinals second in both wins and winning percentage . . . Western Michigan is the all-time leader in both categories with a 286-127 (.692) all-time MAC mark . . . Kent State is 10th on the list at 144-269 (.349), while Ohio is seventh at 205-208 (.496).
► SCOUTING THE CARDINALS: Ball State enters the week with a 10-9 (3-3 MAC) record after snapping a three-match skid with wins at Toledo and at home versus Buffalo . . . Senior Alisha Green enters the week as BSU's top attacker with a 3.27 kills-per-set average, while sophomore Kelsey Brandl leads the team and ranks second in the league with a .370 attack percentage . . . Sophomore Brittany McGinnis has set the Ball State offense to a .210 rate of success this season, while producing a 9.28 assists-per-set average . . . Sophomore Kaylee Schembra leads the Cardinals backcourt with a 3.06 digs-per-set average, while Brandl is the team's top blocker averaging 0.90 blocks per set . . . As a team, BSU is averaging 12.61 kills, 14.19 digs and 1.82 blocks per set . . . The Cardinals' opponents are hitting .182, while averaging 11.45 kills, 12.70 digs and 1.71 blocks per set.
► SCOUTING KENT STATE: The Golden Flashes enter the week with a 10-10 (3-3 MAC) record after falling to Miami 3-1 (20-25, 25-18, 25-21, 25-23) and topping Bowling Green 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-20) last week . . . Kent State started the season with seven losses, before going on a seven-match winning streak . . . Since then, KSU has alternated losses and wins . . . Arjola Prenga is Kent State's top attacker with a 4.69 kills-per-set average, while Zuzana Markova leads the team with a .292 attack percentage . . . Markova and Jenny Keck split time as KSU's setter, averaging 6.49 and 6.79 assists per set, respectively . . . The two-setter system has led to a .209 attack percentage for the Golden Flashes . . . Prenga leads the team with a 3.51 digs-per-set average, while Liva Brivule is the program's top blocker averaging 1.00 blocks per set . . . As a team, Kent State is averaging 12.38 kills, 13.91 digs and 2.58 blocks per set . . . The Golden Flashes' opponents are hitting .202, while averaging 12.19 kills, 14.86 digs and 1.94 blocks per set.
► BSU VS. KSU: Ball State holds a 34-10 advantage in the all-time series versus Kent State despite losing the last three meetings . . . Last season, KSU pulled out a 3-2 (23-25, 25-19, 21-25, 25-16, 20-18) victory over the Cardinals Oct. 17 at Worthen Arena . . . BSU is 13-5 all-time in matches played in Kent, Ohio, with its last win in the series coming Oct. 8, 2005 at Kent - 3-0 (30-16, 30-28, 30-20).
► SCOUTING OHIO: The Bobcats enter the week with a 14-4 (6-0 MAC) record after scoring home wins over Bowling Green 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-19) and Miami 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-20) last week . . . Ohio has won its last 15 matches versus league foes dating back to last season . . . Ellen Herman is Ohio's top attacker with a 4.45 kills-per-set average, while Jane Sytsma paces the team with a .352 attack percentage . . . Michelle Jantsch has set the Bobcats offense to a .269 attack percentage this season, while dishing out 10.58 assists per set . . . Sarah Petrulis leads the Ohio backcourt with a 3.41 digs-per-set average, while Meghan Simons has a team-best 1.36 blocks-per-set average . . . As a team, Ohio is averaging 13.70 kills, 11.95 digs and 2.92 blocks per set . . . The Bobcats' opponents are hitting .156, while averaging 10.92 kills, 11.09 digs and 1.68 blocks per set.
► BSU VS. OHIO: Ball State holds a 31-11 lead in the all-time series with Ohio despite nine straight losses to the Bobcats . . . Prior to Ohio's current winning streak, the Cardinals had won the previous 26 contests . . . Ball State is 15-4 all-time in matches played in Athens, Ohio, with its last victory in the series coming Sept. 28, 2002 at Ohio - 3-1 (30-28, 30-24, 24-30, 31-29).
► BRANDL CONTINUES TO SHINE: Sophomore transfer middle blocker Kelsey Brandl continued to lead the Ball State offense last week, posting a team-best 27 kills in the two outings . . . In last Thursday's win at Toledo, Brandl smashed a career and match-high 14 kills, while adding three aces and three blocks . . . She followed the performance with a career-best .650 attack percentage in Saturday's win over Buffalo, scoring a match-high 13 kills on 20 swings with no errors . . . She also tallied three digs and two blocks versus the Bulls . . . Brandl finished the week with a .489 (27-5-45) attack percentage and has posted double-digit kills in each of BSU's last four matches.
► MORE FROM THE MIDDLE: After finishing the week with a .489 attack percentage, Kelsey Brandl now leads the team and ranks second in the MAC with a .370 attack percentage . . . Brandl, who has recorded double-digit kills five times this season, also ranks first on the team with a 0.90 blocks-per-set average.
► SCHEMBRA DIGS IT: Sophomore libero/defensive specialist Kaylee Schembra led the Cardinals with 29 total digs last week . . . In the win at Toledo (Oct. 8), she tied for match-high honors with 17 digs . . . In the victory over Buffalo (Oct. 10), she paced all players with 12 digs . . . Schembra has posted double-figure digs in a team-high 11 matches this season, and 23 times over her career.
► MAKE IT AN EVEN 500: After leading all players with 12 digs in Saturday's win over Buffalo, Kaylee Schembra upped her career digs total to an even 500 . . . Schembra is one of only three active Cardinals to have at least 500 career digs, joining junior Alyssa Rio (1,252) and senior Julie Breivogel (658).
► SULLIVAN'S SMASHING START: After missing most of the season due to injury, junior outside attacker Hannah Sullivan returned to the starting lineup at Toledo (Oct. 8) and promptly deposited a season-high 13 kills . . . Sullivan, who started the season-opening match at No. 19 Purdue (Aug. 28), finished the match with a .281 (13-4-32) attack percentage, while adding two aces and six digs.
► KAKATOLIS BREAKS INTO TOP 20: After being credited with three block assists last weekend, senior opposite attacker Elaina Kakatolis continues to rank 19th in program history with 214 career block assists . . . In addition, her 235 career blocks are one shy of the top 20 in BSU annals, while her 727 career kills leave her 44 markers away from the top 20.
► BREIVOGEL EYES EIGHTH: Senior outside attacker Julie Breivogel, who recorded her 1,000th career kill versus Dayton (Aug. 29), enters the week ranked ninth in program history with 1,145 career kills after smashing eight last week . . . She needs 55 more kills to pass Julie Zylka's (1998-2001) career total of 1,199 for eighth on BSU's all-time list.
►OVER THE AIR WAVES: The Ball State women's volleyball team has the most comprehensive radio package in the Mid-American Conference, as WCRD 91.3 FM will once again be the radio home of the Cardinals for the 2009 season . . . The station is slated to cover all 11 of the Cardinals home matches this season, as well as select road contests and all of BSU's 2009 MAC Tournament action . . . The state-of-the art WCRD studio will be the home of "Serving It Up" with Dave Boos, a weekly volleyball report which airs Monday nights from 7 to 8 p.m. beginning Aug. 31.
►ON THE TUBE: The Ball State Sports Network will televise a pair of BSU matches (Oct. 24 vs. Miami and Nov. 12 vs. Toledo) . . . In addition, Ball State Sports Link will webcast the Oct. 23 match vs. Bowling Green . . . The Oct. 23 match will be streamed for FREE on www.ballstatesports.com, while fans will need a Ball State All-Access account to watch the other two contests.
